| Marriott Vacation Club | |
| Location City: | Orlando, Florida |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Industry: | Hospitality, Tourism |
| Parent: | Marriott Vacations Worldwide |
| Homepage: | https://www.marriottvacationclub.com |
Marriott Vacation Club is the primary timeshare brand of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation. The brand comprises around 70 Marriott Vacation Club properties throughout the United States, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, and Asia. Marriott Vacation Club resorts consist of one, two, and three-bedroom villas,[1] with more than 400,000 owners.
Marriott's acquisition of Hyatt Vacation Club marks a significant milestone in the hospitality industry. The merger between the two giants paves the way for the creation of a Universal Vacation Currency, revolutionizing the way people plan and enjoy their vacations. This strategic move positions Marriott as the world's largest Hotel and Leisure Real Estate operator, solidifying its dominance in the global market.
Marriott Ownership Resorts, Inc. was established in 1984 (on April 17) on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with the acquisition of American Resorts and its 184 villas on Hilton Head Island, which later became the Marriott's Monarch at Sea Pines resort.[2] In 1987, Marriott Rewards (introduced in 1983) started a partnership with the Marriott Ownership Resorts. In 1990, Marriott begins an exchange partnership with Interval International (ILG, Inc.), allowing Owners to trade weeks at their home resort for access to other resort destinations worldwide. In 1995, Marriott Ownership Resorts, Inc. was renamed, becoming Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) reflecting the company's evolution from real estate development to vacations. In 1996, Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) opened its first European property called Marriott's Marbella Beach Club in Costa del Sol, Spain. In 1997, Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) opened its first Caribbean property called Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club in Palm Beach, Aruba. In 1999, Marriott introduced The Ritz-Carlton Club (Ritz-Carlton Destination Club since April 2009), a luxury fractional ownership offering. In 2001, Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) opened its first Asia property called Marriott's Phuket Beach Club in Phuket, Thailand. In 2001, the first property of Marriott Grand Residence Club (Grand Residences by Marriott since 2006) opened in South Lake Tahoe. In 2007, Marriott Vacation Club International began to market its core timeshare brand as Marriott Vacation Club.[3]
In 2010, the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program was introduced. The Destinations program allows owners to redeem Vacation Club Points for stays at Marriott Vacation Club resorts, Marriott hotels, travel packages and resorts through Interval International.[4]
In 2016, Marriott Vacation Club introduced the Marriott Vacation Club Pulse brand. These properties, set in urban locations, are designed for shorter stays. The brand launched with locations in New York City, San Diego, South Beach, Washington, DC and Boston.[5]
As of 2018, Marriott Vacation Club is one of 4 brands that includes Marriott Vacation Club Pulse, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Grand Residences by Marriott.[6] There are around 70 Marriott Vacation Club branded resorts throughout the world, including three resorts in Spain (Costa del Sol, Mallorca and Marbella) one in France (near Paris) and three in Thailand (one in Bangkok and two in Phuket).
Originally, Marriott Vacation Club properties were sold as weeks. A "fixed week" granted the owner the right to use their villa during a specific week each year (such as week 52, which includes New Year's Eve), or the right to use their villa during a specific "season" (defined on a per-resort basis), which granted the owner the right to reserve their villa for any available week within that season. Weeks at some properties could be split, enabling a non-consecutive four-night stay and three-night stay. Weeks could be exchanged for Marriott Rewards (now Marriott Bonvoy) points. Finally, owners of multi-room villas, such as a two-bedroom lockoff, could split the unit itself and book each half as a separate reservation. Notably, owners cannot reserve villas at other properties without exchanging them through Interval International (II). "Weeks owners," as they are called, pay annual maintenance fees that cover maintenance and refurbishment at the resort.
The Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program changed this structure. Owners now purchase points at a particular property, which can be "spent" to reserve a villa for a given number of nights during a given season. Villa "pricing," in points, differs based on the size of the unit and the season. Points can also be used to reserve villas at other properties, without having to exchange through II. "Points owners," as they are called, pay annual dues, which cover maintenance and refurbishment, much like maintenance fees for weeks owners.
"Weeks" owners can "enroll" their week(s), for a fee, into the Destinations program, effectively converting their week(s) into points on an annual basis.
Marriott Vacation Club continues to sell weeks at some properties, particularly when they acquire weeks from owners wishing to sell them. Marriott Vacation Club has a contractual "right of first refusal" on all resales. If an owner obtains a purchase agreement for their week(s), Marriott Vacation Club can choose to pay the agreed-upon purchase price to obtain the week(s), effectively cancelling the sale. This approach can have the effect of keeping an owner from selling for below market value, since Marriott Vacation Club can effectively take the week(s) "off the market."
Each Marriott Vacation Club property effectively has up to two inventories of villas. Older properties' inventories consist mainly of "weeks owners." Newer properties' inventories consist mainly of points, wherein all available points are owned by a Marriott Vacation Club-controlled trust, and made available to owners who purchased under the Destinations program. Many properties have inventory of both weeks and points. It is important for owners to understand that these two inventories do not intermingle. For example, suppose an owner purchased 2,000 points at Property A, and wished to occupy a villa at Property B. Property B is an older property that was 100% sold-out as weeks. The owner will probably be unsuccessful, because there is no "points inventory" at Property B from which to fulfill their request.[7] [8] It is important for prospective owners to fully understand the differences between the inventories and to ensure their purchase will afford them the occupancy they desire.
The creation of the Destinations program has been controversial and resulted in lawsuits.[9]
| Marriott Grand Residence Club, Lake Tahoe | South Lake Tahoe, California, USA | |
| Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at Custom House, Boston | Boston, Massachusetts, USA | |
| Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at The Mayflower, Washington, D.C. | Washington, District Of Columbia, USA | |
| Marriott Vacation Club Pulse, New York City | New York City, New York, USA | |
| Marriott Vacation Club Pulse, San Diego | San Diego, California, USA | |
| Marriott Vacation Club Pulse, San Francisco | San Francisco, California, USA | |
| Marriott Vacation Club Pulse, South Beach | South Beach, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott Vacation Club at Surfers Paradise | Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia | |
| Marriott Vacation Club at The Empire Place | Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand | |
| Marriott Vacation Club at Los Sueños | Herradura, Puntarenas, Costa Rica | |
| Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club | Palm Beach, Noord, Aruba | |
| Marriott's Aruba Surf Club | Palm Beach, Noord, Aruba | |
| Marriott's Bali Nusa Dua Gardens | Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia | |
| Marriott's Bali Nusa Dua Terrace | Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia | |
| Marriott's Barony Beach Club | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA | |
| Marriott's BeachPlace Towers | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Canyon Villas | Phoenix, Arizona, USA | |
| Marriott's Club Son Antem | Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain | |
| Marriott's Crystal Shores | Marco Island, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Cypress Harbour | Orlando, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Desert Springs Villas | Palm Desert, California, USA | |
| Marriott's Desert Springs Villas II | Palm Desert, California, USA | |
| Marriott's Fairway Villas | Absecon, New Jersey, USA | |
| Marriott's Frenchman's Cove | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, USA | |
| Marriott's Grand Chateau | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | |
| Marriott's Grande Ocean | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA | |
| Marriott's Grande Vista | Orlando, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Harbour Club | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA | |
| Marriott's Harbour Lake | Orlando, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Harbour Point | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA | |
| Marriott's Heritage Club | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA | |
| Marriott's Imperial Palms | Orlando, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Kauai Beach Club | Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, USA | |
| Marriott's Kauai Lagoons - Kalanipuʻu | Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, USA | |
| Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club | Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii, USA | |
| Marriott's Lakeshore Reserve | Orlando, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Legends Edge at Bay Point | Panama City, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Mai Khao Beach - Phuket | Mai Khao, Phuket, Thailand | |
| Marriott's Manor Club | Williamsburg, Virginia, USA | |
| Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort | Marbella, Andalusia, Spain | |
| Marriott's Maui Ocean Club | Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, USA | |
| Marriott's Monarch | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA | |
| Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge | Breckenridge, Colorado, USA | |
| Marriott's MountainSide | Park City, Utah, USA | |
| Marriott's Newport Coast Villas | Newport Coast, California, USA | |
| Marriott's Ocean Pointe | Palm Beach Shores, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Oceana Palms | Riviera Beach, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's OceanWatch at Grande Dunes | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA | |
| Marriott's Phuket Beach Club | Mai Khao, Phuket, Thailand | |
| Marriott's Playa Andaluza | Estepona, Andalusia, Spain | |
| Marriott's Royal Palms | Orlando, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Sabal Palms | Orlando, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Shadow Ridge | Palm Desert, California, USA | |
| Marriott's St. Kitts Beach Club | St. Peter Basseterre, St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis | |
| Marriott's StreamSide | Vail, Colorado, USA | |
| Marriott's Summit Watch | Park City, Utah, USA | |
| Marriott's Sunset Pointe | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA | |
| Marriott's SurfWatch | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA | |
| Marriott's Timber Lodge | South Lake Tahoe, California, USA | |
| Marriott's Village d'Ile-de-France | Bailly-Romainvilliers, Île-de-France, France | |
| Marriott's Villas at Doral | Doral, Florida, USA | |
| Marriott's Waikoloa Ocean Club | Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii, Hawaii, USA | |
| Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club | Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii, USA | |
| Marriott's Willow Ridge Lodge | Branson, Missouri, USA | |
| The Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences, San Francisco | San Francisco, California, USA | |
| The Ritz-Carlton Club, Aspen Highlands | Aspen, Colorado, USA | |
| The Ritz-Carlton Club, Lake Tahoe | Truckee, California, USA | |
| The Ritz-Carlton Club, St. Thomas | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, USA | |
| The Ritz-Carlton Club, Vail | Vail, Colorado, USA |